Great Baltimore comebacks [Pictures]

Only a couple months after Baltimore's inaugural Grand Prix, problems started to surface. The race's economic impact wasn't nearly as much as originally planned, according to a report done for Visit Baltimore, and the organization behind the event hit some major financial potholes. It looked...

Only a couple months after Baltimore's inaugural Grand Prix, problems started to surface. The race's economic impact wasn't nearly as much as originally planned, according to a report done for Visit Baltimore, and the organization behind the event hit some major financial potholes. It looked... (Getty Images)

Over the years, plenty of the shine had worn off the Inner Harbor's massive entertainment complex. Sure, Power Plant Live might have made an attractive nightlife option if you were an out-of-towner or a college student, but to the rest of us, it was simply a flashy tourist trap or the place...

Over the years, plenty of the shine had worn off the Inner Harbor's massive entertainment complex. Sure, Power Plant Live might have made an attractive nightlife option if you were an out-of-towner or a college student, but to the rest of us, it was simply a flashy tourist trap or the place... (Josh Sisk, Special to The Baltimore Sun)

This time last year, Denise Whiting was loathed by many Baltimoreans. How dare she trademark the word "hon?," they asked. Protesters marched outside Whiting's restaurant, Cafe Hon, and business fell off. For help, Whiting turned to an unlikely savior: Chef Gordon Ramsay, host of the TV show...

This time last year, Denise Whiting was loathed by many Baltimoreans. How dare she trademark the word "hon?," they asked. Protesters marched outside Whiting's restaurant, Cafe Hon, and business fell off. For help, Whiting turned to an unlikely savior: Chef Gordon Ramsay, host of the TV show... (Amy Davis, the Baltimore Sun)

While we fondly look back on the mid-aughts as "Wire"-spotting time in town (look, Marlo at my gym's treadmill! Bubs at BWI!), we were famous-folk deficient for awhile. But over the past couple years, there's been an influx of major Hollywood projects -- and celebrity sightings. David Fincher...

While we fondly look back on the mid-aughts as "Wire"-spotting time in town (look, Marlo at my gym's treadmill! Bubs at BWI!), we were famous-folk deficient for awhile. But over the past couple years, there's been an influx of major Hollywood projects -- and celebrity sightings. David Fincher... (Handout)

It's not really "cool" to like the Inner Harbor. If you're a Baltimorean, you become conditioned to not mentioning it in conversations. But we don't know why. After its first comeback in the 1970s and 1980s, we're in the middle of -- dare we say it -- another harbor renaissance, replete with...

It's not really "cool" to like the Inner Harbor. If you're a Baltimorean, you become conditioned to not mentioning it in conversations. But we don't know why. After its first comeback in the 1970s and 1980s, we're in the middle of -- dare we say it -- another harbor renaissance, replete with... (Algerina Perna, The Baltimore Sun)

Everybody loves a comeback. And we've had quite a few in the past year or so. Against all odds, the Grand Prix is back with new owners and a major sponsor. Denise Whiting, whose trademark of the word "hon" cost her dearly, managed a total turnaround, thanks in no small part to celebrity chef...